Limited number of menu markers

[Retired]

I am using PrE 10 with Win 7 64bit.

I have been editing some older videos taken 20+ years ago with a VHS camcorder. The tapes have been converted/captured and edited successfully, the final version is about 1hr 25min long.

I started adding 'Main' and 'Scene' menu markers and encountered a warning/error that there cannot be more than 25 menu markers --and I'm only about 2/3 of the way through the video.

Is there any way to add more markers (I'll need approximately 40) with PrE 10, or is there any other s/w that will do what I need?

[Steve Grisetti]

Many of us Premiere Elements users do our editing in it but author our DVDs in DVD Architect Studio, an amazing $39 from Sony Creative Software.

Short of being able to add multiple audio tracks or optional subtitles, it can do pretty much anything you can dream in a DVD or BluRay menu.

We like it so much here on Muvipix, that we've written a book and created a series of free Basic Training tutorials for it!

[Retired]

Thanks for the quick response, just a couple of additional questions:

1) Is there/what is the limit on maximum Menu Markers ?

2) Can the rendered video be burned to a file instead of directly to a disc ?

[Bob]

1) Is there/what is the limit on maximum Menu Markers ?

Yes, there is a limit. The number of chapter/menu markers is limited to 99 by the DVD specification. A DVD title cannot have more than 99 chapters regardless of the software used to create it.

2) Can the rendered video be burned to a file instead of directly to a disc ?

Yes. The DVD files and folders can be written to a folder on a hard drive instead of burning directly to a disc. You can use a disc burning program, such as the free imgburn utility, to create a DVD from the folder at a later time.

[Chuck Engels]

I would ask the question of how you are using the scene(chapter) and menu markers?
I've had videos that ran 2 hours (a real no-no by the way, anything over 1 hour is too long for home movies and they really should be under 40 minutes) and never used more than 12 scene markers and only 3 menu markers. For one thing it gets confusing for the view navigating through all the scene menu pages. Chapters should only separate parts of the story; growing up, getting married, having kids, something like that, not a chapter menu for every image or clip.

Menu markers separate only main areas of the video; Play Movie, Outtakes, Slideshow, Scene Menu

Programs like Encore DVD let you create chapter playlists and other features that help to keep the menu neat and clean.
I would think that DVD Arch would have similar features. If you are going to create a complex menu it will be hard to do in Premiere Elements, that's not what it is made for.

[Retired]

Thank you all for your information and answers.

Chuck, I understand your comments regarding the length of a video and normally do keep the length of an 'event video' (birthday, holiday, etc) to 40 to 60 minutes and limit main and scene menu markers to 5 - 10 or so.

This specific project is to convert the VHS videos of a 20 year old family trip Israel. The original videos are on three 2hr VHS tapes (averaging 1hr 50+ minutes) covering a 2 week period of touring. Each tape documents 3 to 6 days of the trip. I have completed editing the first VHS tape to 1 DVD. My plan is/was to use a 'Main' marker to designate each day; and a 'Scene' marker for the significant locations visited each day.

I understand that it is very unlikely that anyone would sit and watch even a single DVD at one sitting; hence the need for the numerous markers to enable a viewer to select a particular day, or select a particular location visited.

I am currently attempting to see if I can get the number of markers down to 25; and will also have a go at using DVD Architect.

[Chuck Engels]

Due to potential quality issues I would suggest that you split each tape onto two DVDs, that should help with the marker issue as well

[Dave McElderry]

Due to potential quality issues I would suggest that you split each tape onto two DVDs, that should help with the marker issue as well

Exactly what I was thinking Chuck. Good advice.